Standard Lemma guide

arrear

adv · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /əˈɹɪə/
  • General-American: /əˈɹɪɹ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)

1

adv

Meaning 1

Towards the rear, backwards.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Behind time; overdue.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Work to be done, obligation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • November 4, 1866, James David Forbes, letter to E. C. Batten I have a large arrear of letters to write.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Unpaid debt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • fall into arrears

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

That which is in the rear or behind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English arere, from Old French arere, from Vulgar Latin *ad retro (literally “to the rear”).

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: rest — work to be done
  • Dutch: achterstand — work to be done
  • Finnish: rästi — work to be done
  • Finnish: rästityö — work to be done
  • Finnish: tekemätön työ — work to be done
  • French: arriéré — work to be done
  • Hungarian: elmaradás — work to be done
  • Hungarian: lemaradás — work to be done
  • Hungarian: restancia — work to be done
  • Italian: arretrato — work to be done
  • Polish: zaległości — work to be done
  • Russian: обязанность (objazannostʹ) — work to be done
  • Russian: завал (zaval) — work to be done
  • Swedish: beting — work to be done
  • Swedish: bakläxa — work to be done
  • Armenian: ապառք (apaṙkʻ) — unpaid debt
  • Chinese Cantonese: 拖欠 — unpaid debt
  • Czech: nedoplatek — unpaid debt
  • Czech: prodlení — unpaid debt
  • Danish: (udestående, ubetalt) gæld — unpaid debt
  • Dutch: achterstallige betaling — unpaid debt
  • Finnish: erääntynyt velka — unpaid debt
  • Finnish: verojäämä — unpaid debt
  • French: arriéré — unpaid debt
  • German: Rückstand — unpaid debt
  • German: Zahlungsrückstand — unpaid debt
  • Hungarian: hátralék — unpaid debt
  • Hungarian: elmaradás — unpaid debt
  • Irish: riaráiste — unpaid debt
  • Japanese: 滞納 (tainō) — unpaid debt
  • Māori: utu tārewa — unpaid debt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utestående — unpaid debt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: restanse — unpaid debt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: betalingsetterskudd — unpaid debt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ubetalt gjeld — unpaid debt
  • Polish: zaległości płatnicze — unpaid debt
  • Portuguese: atrasdos — unpaid debt
  • Punjabi: ਬਾਕੀ (bākī) — unpaid debt
  • Russian: задолженность (zadolžennostʹ) — unpaid debt
  • Spanish: deuda vencida — unpaid debt
  • Spanish: atrasos — unpaid debt
  • Spanish: pago atrasado — unpaid debt
  • Spanish: mora — unpaid debt
  • Swedish: efterskott — unpaid debt
  • Tarifit: amerwas — unpaid debt
  • Turkish: bakiye — unpaid debt
  • Turkish: ödenmemiş borç — unpaid debt
  • Polish: tylna część — rear part
  • Spanish: atras; detras — rear part